North of North, Heated Rivalry, 40 Acres lead Canadian Screen Award nominees

The first major comedy series filmed in Nunavut, a sci-fi suspense right out of Sinners, a time-travel mockumentary in the style of Back to the Future and the world’s favourite queer hockey drama all top this year’s Canadian Screen Award nomination rolls. 

Announced Wednesday, the 2026 CSA nominees were led by CBC’s North of North, garnering 20 nods for the Anna Lambe-starring sitcom about a young Inuk mother who spontaneously — and publicly — ends her marriage. 

That collection of honours for North of North in everything from best comedy series to best lead performer in a comedy (Anna Lambe) to two best supporting performances in a comedy (Braeden Clarke and Maika Harper) and best comedy ensemble put it alongside Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Schitt’s Creek as the only titles to ever earn 20 or more nominations at the awards. 

Best motion picture:

• 40 Acres.
• Blue Heron.
• The Cost of Heaven (Gagne ton ciel).
• Follies (Folichonneries).
• Lovely Day (Mille secrets mille dangers).
• Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.
• The Things You Kill.
• Wrong Husband (Uiksaringitara).

Achievement in direction, film:

• R.T. Thorne, 40 Acres.
• Sophy Romvari, Blue Heron.
• Eric K. Boulianne, Follies (Folichonneries).
• Heather Young, There, There.
• Alireza Khatami, The Things You Kill.
• Zacharias Kunuk, Wrong Husband (Uiksaringitara).

But trailing just behind is no slouch, either: the worldwide phenom Heated Rivalry scored an impressive 18 nods, including best drama series and best lead performer nominations for both François Arnaud and Hudson Williams.

Given a rule-change taking effect for the first time this year — after three of the top acting prizes went to non-Canadian actors in 2025 — only Canadian citizens and permanent residents can be considered for the country’s top film and television awards. That meant Williams’s American co-star Connor Storrie was not eligible for a nomination.

In the film category, a slate of strong performers and critical darlings divvied up the categories. R.T. Thorne’s sci-fi 40 Acres, a post-apocalyptic thriller about a Black and Indigenous family of farmers fending off cannibals, pulled in 10 nods — including best motion picture and both a directing and a first feature nomination for R.T. Thorne. 

Just slightly behind was Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, the sleeper hit from Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson. That Jackass-adjacent film — a half-scripted, half-improvised story about two desperate musicians accidentally travelling back in time — proved a surprise (relative) smash success after its release in February. 

According to distributor Elevation Pictures, that film’s debut weekend earnings of $350,000 was the best for any English-language live-action Canadian film since 2023’s Blackberry. That film, also directed by Johnson, earned 17 CSA nominations; its eventual 14 wins were the most for any film in the awards’ history. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’s eight nominations put it alongside Follies and Honey Bunch as the second-most nominated films for 2026.

Best comedy series:

• Children Ruin Everything.
• Late Bloomer.
• North of North.
• Son of a Critch.
• The Trades.

Best drama series:

• Heated Rivalry.
• Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.
• Plan B.
• Saint-Pierre.
• Wild Cards.

This year, Johnson is up for best performance in a supporting comedy role, while McCarroll is nominated for lead in a comedy. The film itself is up for best motion picture, alongside other top performer Blue Heron. 

Already a winner of the $50,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, that contemplative drama from first-time feature film director Sophy Romvari is also nominated for best original screenplay, supporting performance in a drama (Edik Beddoes), best directing and the John Dunning best first feature film award. 

Up for seven nominations is Mile End Kicks, the semi-autobiographical sophomore feature from I Like Movies writer-director Chandler Levack. Fielding consideration for original screenplay, supporting role in a comedy (Devon Bostick) and a number of craft categories, Levack is also set to receive the sustainable production award for the film serving as a model of “meaningful environmental leadership,” both in its production and depictions of sustainability.

Also set to receive special awards this year are Mike Myers (Academy Icon award), Hazel Mae (Gordon Sinclair award for broadcast journalist) and maxine bailey (Changemaker award).

Best feature-length documentary:

• Endless Cookie.
• James Bay 1975: The Shock of Two Nations (Baie James 1975 : le choc des nations).
• Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery.
• Spare My Bones, Coyote! (Mais où va-t-on, Coyote?).
• The Track.

Best factual series:

• 50,000 First Dates: A True Story.
• The Assembly.
• Crime Scene Investigators.
• Dark Side of the Ring.
• Into the Void.

The awards themselves come after another difficult year for the Canadian screen industry. According to a recent report from Telefilm Canada, Canadian films’ cumulative box office revenue dipped nearly 41 per cent from 2024 to 2025.  

That follows similar reports showing English-language Canadian films made up just 1.4 per cent of the national box office in 2023 — largely shored up by the outsized success of animated behemoth Paw Patrol. An aberrant high watermark in 2021 saw Canadian films make up only five per cent of the country’s box office. 

The recent dip was largely caused by a precipitous decline in the success of French-language Canadian films, which otherwise often support the country’s box-office numbers. English-language Canadian films had a much less serious drop, and Telefilm’s chief program officer cautioned that the recent decline comes after a uniquely successful year in 2024, and doesn’t necessarily foretell a sustained, long-term pattern. 

At the same time, Canadian television programming’s worldwide success — from Schitt’s Creek to last year’s Heated Rivalry — has put wind in the sales of Canada’s cultural exports. Whether that will change the tenor of the Canadian Screen Awards’ live show itself — which for the last two years has featured a number of self-deprecating jokes at the state of the Canadian entertainment industry — is still to be seen.

But after an over 40 per cent ratings bump for the CSAs last year, there’s other reasons for optimism. Hosted by eight-time CSA winner Andrew Phung, the final night of the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards will take place May 31 at 8:00 pm ET.

And in a landmark co-operative move that the Globe and Mail’s Barry Hertz said underlines the industry’s current “elbows up” sentiments, the ceremony will simultaneously broadcast and stream on CBC, Bell Media and Corus platforms. For the past 13 years, it aired solely on CBC.

Other nominees include:

John Dunning best first feature film award:

• 40 Acres.
• 100 Sunset.
• Blue Heron.
• Dinner with Friends.
• Follies (Folichonneries).
• Where Souls Go (Où vont les âmes).

Performance in a leading role (film, drama):

• Jasmin Geljo, Cat’s Cry.
• Milya Corbeil Gauvreau, Fanny.
• Grace Glowicki, Honey Bunch.
• Nina Kiri, Out Standing.
• Michaela Kurimsky, Sweet Angel Baby.
• Marlene Jewell, There, There.
• Noah Parker, Who by Fire (Comme le feu).
• Theresia Kappianaq, Wrong Husband (Uiksaringitara).

WATCH | North of North brought Anna Lambe home:

Filming North of North brings Anna Lambe home

Anna Lambe hadn’t planned on acting until a teacher encouraged her to audition for a production in her hometown of Iqaluit. She’s since appeared with Jodie Foster in True Detective and stars in the CBC, Netflix and APTN show North of North. Lambe spoke with The National’s Ian Hanomansing about returning home to film and informing people about the North.a

Performance in a leading role (film, comedy):

• Eric K. Boulianne, Follies (Folichonneries).
• Catherine Chabot, Follies (Folichonneries).
• France Castel, The Furies (Les Furies).
• Neil Elias, Lovely Day (Mille secrets mille dangers).
• Jay McCarrol, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.
• Patrick Hivon, Peak Everything (Amour Apocalypse).
• Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, Two Women (Deux femmes en or).
• Laurence Leboeuf, Two Women (Deux femmes en or).

Best lead performer, drama series:

• Supinder Wraich, Allegiance.
• Michelle Morgan, Heartland.
• François Arnaud, Heated Rivalry.
• Hudson Williams, Heated Rivalry.
• Kathleen Munroe, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.
• Carolina Bartczak, Plan B.
• Melanie Scrofano, Revival.
• Allan Hawco, Saint-Pierre.

Best lead performer, comedy series:

• Meaghan Rath, Children Ruin Everything.
• Jasmeet Raina, Late Bloomer.
• Mary Walsh, The Missus Downstairs.
• Anna Lambe, North of North.
• Jermaine Richards, The Office Movers.
• Meredith MacNeill, Small Achievable Goals.
• Jennifer Whalen, Small Achievable Goals.
• Anastasia Philips, The Trades.